This is the fourth of six posts in which we examine the six writers shortlisted for the 2025 Booker Prize, with the winner to be announced on Monday, 10 November. The Long Game: Kiran Desai’s Craft, Lineage, and Epic Endeavour As the daughter of the celebrated author Anita Desai, Kiran Desai inherited a literary lineage,Continue reading “The Booker Prize Short List – Kiran Desai”
Tag Archives: fiction
The Booker Prize Short List – Katie Kitamura
This is the third of six posts in which we examine the six writers shortlisted for the 2025 Booker Prize, with the winner to be announced on Monday, 10 November. The Forensic Intellect: Inside the Craft and Contingency of Katie Kitamura Katie Kitamura occupies a rare and pivotal position in contemporary literature, one where theContinue reading “The Booker Prize Short List – Katie Kitamura”
The Booker Prize Short List – Susan Choi
This is the second of six posts in which we examine the six writers shortlisted for the 2025 Booker Prize, with the winner to be announced on Monday, 10 November. The Architecture of Memory: Susan Choi’s Flashlight Susan Choi occupies a unique and significant position in contemporary Anglophone literature. Over the course of six majorContinue reading “The Booker Prize Short List – Susan Choi”
The Booker Prize Short List – David Szalay
This is the first of six posts in which we look in detail at the six writers shortlisted for the 2025 Booker Prize, the winner to be announced on Monday, 10 November. Exploring Austerity and Exteriority: David Szalay, Flesh, and the Craft of the Modern European Novel David Szalay (born 1974) has solidified his positionContinue reading “The Booker Prize Short List – David Szalay”
The Unfolding Prophecy: Why Octavia E. Butler’s ‘Parable of the Sower’ Resonates Now More Than Ever
In 1993, a groundbreaking work of speculative fiction offered a terrifying glimpse into a near-future America ravaged by climate change, economic collapse, and social unrest. At the time, Octavia E. Butler’s Parable of the Sower was critically acclaimed but remained a powerful, albeit niche, entry in the science fiction canon. Yet, almost three decades later,Continue reading “The Unfolding Prophecy: Why Octavia E. Butler’s ‘Parable of the Sower’ Resonates Now More Than Ever”
The Booker Dozen: The Authors Behind the 2025 Longlist
The Booker Prize is arguably one of the most significant literary accolades in the English-speaking world, a beacon that shines a light on fiction’s most compelling voices. For writers, making the longlist – the esteemed “Booker Dozen” – is a career-defining moment, a testament to months, if not years, of dedicated craft. This year, theContinue reading “The Booker Dozen: The Authors Behind the 2025 Longlist”
The Art of Storytelling: Granta’s Enduring Impact
Granta has, for over a century, been a vital home for new writing, a mirror reflecting societal shifts, and a launchpad for some of the most significant voices in contemporary literature. From its unassuming beginnings as a student publication to its current stature as an international literary powerhouse, Granta‘s journey is a compelling narrative ofContinue reading “The Art of Storytelling: Granta’s Enduring Impact”
The Authentic Blur: Navigating Memoir, Autofiction, and the Quest for Truth in Personal Narrative
Introduction: The Evolving Landscape of Personal Narrative The contemporary literary landscape has undergone a profound transformation, witnessing a significant rise in the prominence of personal narrative forms. This includes the enduring appeal of traditional memoir and the emergence of autofiction as a compelling, yet often controversial, genre.1 These narrative modes collectively challenge conventional notions ofContinue reading “The Authentic Blur: Navigating Memoir, Autofiction, and the Quest for Truth in Personal Narrative”
Your World, Your Rules
The Art of World-Building The art of world-building, often thought of as something only for fantasy stories filled with dragons and magic, is an essential skill for any writer creating a fictional world. Whether you’re crafting a futuristic galaxy in science fiction, a meticulously detailed past in historical fiction, or even a subtly altered versionContinue reading “Your World, Your Rules”
The Gravity of Words: Insights from Samantha Harvey’s ‘Orbital’
As writers, we continually seek inspiration, new techniques, and fresh perspectives to push the boundaries of our craft. Every so often, a novel emerges that challenges our preconceptions about storytelling, structure, and genre. Samantha Harvey’s Orbital, the groundbreaking 2024 Booker Prize winner, is precisely such a book. Hailed as “slim, powerful, and uplifting,” and oftenContinue reading “The Gravity of Words: Insights from Samantha Harvey’s ‘Orbital’”
The Original Writers Group 